> Funny how important The Entertainment Experience is to some though, I guess > I may be a bit conservative but my interest in web material is information.. > If I were a Flash designer I suppose it would all be quite relevant but as a > stills photographer I see no benefit. > > ..nothing more annoying than having to click an 'enter' page or wade through > a component instal. OK, a quote from a web design site that promotes Flash <<< http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/mx/dreamweaver/articles/dwmx_design_t ips.html Yes, I work for Macromedia and I do think Macromedia Flash MX is cool. However, anything that doesn't contribute directly to the understanding of the site or doesn't impart information should be thought about long and hard. If your user thinks she has to wait for unimportant stuff to download to use your site, she is going to lose patience and leave. The worst offender here is the large introduction. Give the user information and not fluff. You should never even be in the situation where you should contemplate a "skip intro" button. On the other hand, if you use Macromedia Flash MX to create a useful movie describing how to use a product, to illustrate a technique, or to present dynamic data in a rich Internet application, then you're on the right track. There are some excellent examples of how to create Macromedia Flash MX content that improve a site dramatically. Check out the Pet Market application to see an excellent use of Macromedia Flash MX. >>> Key issue: if it adds nothing to the information then it's fluff. If someone can't visit your site because they are not willing to download the fluff-player app. then you have lost the visit for NO benefit. If you have static photos: Flash only, inevitably, slows up viewing them. Indeed, if you go somewhere else then come back for a second look Flash guarantees you wait for the whole time again - no reduction for being in cache. Ah, but you cannot "download" images from Flash. The first time someone claimed that I'd never tried but it took under 5 minutes to extract the files from the *.swf files *** DOWNLOADED *** into cache. Now it takes a couple of mouse clicks. On a slow connection anything that slows up access to the information is a pain. On a fast connection it's still a waste of time. Bob Another conservative
